Inter Kashi delighted to have the ‘reward’ of justice; Churchill Brothers find ‘sheer conspiracy’ by the AIFF!

Sudeep Pakrashi: Inter Kashi president Prithijit Das, elated with the CAS decision on Friday, said, “We won the last match of the I-League. It was won on the pitch and we were awarded by the highest court of justice.” For the second time within one month, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the All India Football Federation’s appeal committee’s decision to rule in favour of Inter Kashi and make them champions of the I-League. “The appeal filed on 4 June 2025 by Inter Kashi FC against the decision issued on 31 May 2025 by the Appeal Committee of the All-India Football Federation is partially upheld. “The decision issued on 31 May 2025 by the Appeal Committee of the All-India Football Federation is set aside. The AIFF shall forthwith declare Inter Kashi FC as the winner of the I-League 2024-25 season,” sole arbitrator Frans de Weger ruled in the CAS order. The I-League points table would be adjusted with Kashi finishing on top with 42 points, two ahead of Churchill, with Kashmir third on 37, and Namdari fourth with 29. CAS also directed that the AIFF will bear 55 percent of the costs of the arbitration, with the remaining 45 percent equally divided among Chuchill, Namdhari, and Kashmir (15 percent each), and it would be served to the parties separately. The AIFF would also have to pay CHF 3,000 (around Rs 3.22 lakh) while Churchill, Namdhari, and Kashmir have to shell out CHF 1,000 (around Rs 1.07 lakh) to Kashi as legal contribution for costs and other expenses incurred during these arbitral proceedings. However, the Inter Kashi president added, commenting, “It is a great day not for Inter Kashi, but for Indian football. The other new football clubs that are willing to come up will be inspired by the decision. More importantly, the investors who are with these new football clubs will not lose interest after a new club wins the I-League title after overcoming several obstructions which were created by a few other I-League clubs.” Simultaneously, the president’s advice to those clubs who lodged complaints against Inter Kashi for fielding their foreign recruit, Mario Barco, illegally in the second phase of the League, was that “Mario Barco was re-registered in the AIFF and he played in seven matches in the second phase of the League. The clubs should try to know the truth from AIFF instead of moving to the court.” Churchill Brothers, the Goan club, had already been handed over the I-League trophy and announced I-League champions by the AIFF president in a ceremony in Goa and even in the executive committee meeting on 7th April. Churchill Alemao, the club’s founder and the president, shocked and irked with Friday’s decision, explained, “It is a ‘sheer conspiracy’ by the AIFF. They gave us the I-League trophy at a function in Goa. They announced us as League champions in the executive committee meeting on 7th April. But they have not yet given us the prize money! We had assumed what was going on. Why did AIFF not let us know about the re-registration of their foreign footballer at that time? I have spent so much money on football throughout my life, and AIFF cheated me!” Alemao also raised questions about how CAS intervened in the matter. Did CAS solve Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini’s corruption? When India have the highest court, then why did they move to CAS? However, it is believed that Churchill Brothers have started planning to make a strong protest against the decision, and they might even move to the Supreme Court.
Aditi has a dream of producing goalkeepers in future, desires to modernize her academy

Sudeep Pakrashi: Aditi Chauhan, the first Indian woman to have played professional football in Europe, announced her retirement after a 17-year-long career at the age of 32. The former national goalkeeper, whose European journey included two seasons with West Ham, returned to India in 2018 and joined Gokulam FC, winning two Indian Women’s League titles. In the last season, she represented Sreebhumi FC, playing a crucial role in guiding the team to secure third place in the IWL. When asked about the reasons behind the decision to say goodbye, Aditi revealed while speaking to Parallel Sports on Friday morning, “I have been thinking multiple issues for long time to create a new reality where the women footballers can make some impressive earnings as we all know that women’s football has not yet been able to provide quality earnings. So, such thoughts influenced me, and secondly, I was feeling that I should create space for the promising young goalkeepers in the national team.” Having earned 57 caps with the Indian national team, Aditi’s final appearance with the Blue Tigresses came in a friendly against Nepal in February 2023, soon after which she was sidelined by her second ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injury. She suffered her first ACL injury in 2017 during her time spent with English side West Ham Ladies (now West Ham United women’s team). What will she miss? Aditi smilingly replied, “Enjoying time with footballer friends every day, during the training, before and after the matches.” When asked about her fond memories, Aditi did not hesitate to say, “Winning SAFF with the senior national team, playing for West Ham were all sweet memories.” Aditi has a non-residential coaching project named ‘She Kicks Football Academy. It is also registered as a club in Delhi women’s football. Now, the goalkeeper is nurturing dreams to produce footballers of international standard in the future. Especially, she seems tenacious in producing quality goalkeepers for the future. “I completed the AFC Level-One Goalkeeping course. I learned more about the technicalities of goalkeeping and how to reach the top level. Naturally, I have a desire to share my knowledge and expertise with the promising young girls who would like to become goalkeepers,” explained Aditi. She is also aiming to modernize her coaching school. “Now, 30 girls are there. I am trying to provide infrastructural support for them, especially by tracking and monitoring their injuries. I was the sufferer. My career would have been longer if I had not had to face two ACL injuries and operations. Even, I have been talking to some of the companies for their support to install modern equipment at my academy for the young footballers in the future, “added Aditi. Aditi, who also received offers from a few IWL teams to play in the coming season, divulged that she is also keeping an option open to join any IWL team as a goalkeeping coach. The former India international, delighted by the national women’s qualification for the Asian Cup main phase, said, “It is great news for India’s women’s football. But the final phase of the Asian Cup is a different ball-game. You have to compete against the toughest teams of Asia in the final round. So I feel Indian women need quality exposure matches to earn competence.”
Hanuman Chalisa In Dressing Room of Team India To Boost Morale

Indian team played the Hanuman Chalisa, a devotional hymn in praise of the Hindu god Hanuman, in their dressing room to lift their spirits ahead of the fourth Test match against England, which will be held in Manchester next week. Currently India is down 1-2 in the five-match series and looking to bounce back. the squad seemed determined to shake off the disappointment — not through intense drills, but by invoking good vibes through a unique blend of music in the dressing room. Listening to the Hanuman Chalisa before training seemed to be a way for the team to stay positive and focused. Along with the Chalisa, the team also played English pop songs and popular Punjabi music, creating a light and relaxed atmosphere in the dressing room. For the unversed, the Hanuman Chalisa is a famous Hindu prayer made up of 40 verses. It praises Lord Hanuman, a powerful and loyal devotee of Lord Rama. The prayer tells stories of Hanuman’s strength, bravery, and dedication. One important verse talks about Hanuman discovering his true power, which he had forgotten because of his humility. The message of the Hanuman Chalisa is that staying humble and serving others with devotion leads to greatness. Some fun moments happened too. Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah were joking around with journalists who were watching practice from below. When a reporter tried to call out to Pant, he replied, “I can’t hear anything,” because of the loud music. Bumrah jumped in and joked, saying, “Today Duggal Ji can’t hear,” It was a reference to a line from a popular Hindi movie. While the vibe was light-hearted, Team India were dealt an injury concern when left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh hurt his bowling hand. The 26-year-old was bowling alongside Prasidh Krishna when he attempted to stop a fiercely struck ball from Sai Sudharsan. The ball clipped his fingers, leaving a visible cut and forcing him off the nets. Bumrah, on the other hand, did not have a bowl and neither did Mohammed Siraj as part of workload management. It remains to be seen if either of them is rested in the next Test with the series on the line.
Specialist role for Rishabh Pant in 4th Test after Lord’s injury: ‘Keeping last part of process’

Ahead of a do-or-die fourth Test against England in Manchester, India are sweating over the availability of vice-captain Rishabh Pant, who suffered a left index finger injury while keeping in Lord’s Test. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate hinted that Pant might play as a specialist batter in Manchester after what he did with the bat despite his injury at Lord’s. Ten Doeschate said at the press conference “He will bat in Manchester before the Test. I don’t think you’re gonna keep Rishabh out of the Test no matter what. He batted with quite a lot of pain in the 3rd Test, and it’s only going to get easier on his finger. “Keeping is obviously the last part of the process to make sure that he can keep. We don’t want to go through that again where we have to replace the keeper halfway through in the innings. But he rested today. We’re just trying to give his finger as long as possible and hopefully he’s good to go in Manchester in the first training session,” said ten Doeschate in a press conference, on the sidelines of India’s practice session at Beckenham. He added In Pant’s absence, wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel took up the keeping duties at Lord’s. Ten Doeschate did say Jurel was in the mix for Manchester if Pant isn’t fully fit. “He is in the equation. But I mean, obviously, if Rishabh is fit, he plays the next Test and does both,” Pant, who made 74 and nine at Lord’s was in visible pain after being hit on left index finger and did not keep wickets for the rest of the Test. Skipper Shubman Gill had said Pant will be fit to play in Manchester. “He will bat in Manchester before the Test. With India now 1-2 behind in the five-match series, ten Doeschate said the side is aiming to improve on the pattern of losing wickets in a heap, something which has hurt them in their losses at Headingley and Lord’s. India are playing a Test match in Manchester after 11 years, which brings an element of newness for a majority of team members. “I’m not sure Manchester is the same as Manchester of 10-15 years ago. Speaking to the media on Thursday after India’s first training session for the fourth Test, Ryan ten Doeschate confirmed Bumrah’s inclusion. “We’ll make that call in Manchester. We know we’ve got him for one of the last two Tests. I think it’s pretty obvious the series is on the line now in Manchester, so there will be a leaning towards playing him,” he said. If Bumrah play this will be Bumrah’s first appearance at the Old Trafford.
Javelin-throwing a key factor in Tim Robinson’s explosive batting

It’s barely been 15 months since his international debut for New Zealand, but Tim Robinson has put behind the first impression of Shaheen Shah Afridi bowling him for a two-ball duck. Midweek, he took on South Africa pacers in the T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe and helped deliver a win after resurrecting a crumbling innings with his 57-ball 75 as NZ scored 173/5 and shot out SA for 152. The right-handed 23-year-old who’s turned out for Northamptonshire, Wellington Firebirds, Guyana Amazon Warriors, might have struggled against Pakistan but has slowly picked up his average to 29.77 in 11 innings, striking at 131. What makes Robinson, an all-rounder, unique is his past as a javelin thrower. According to collegesportmedia.co.New Zealand’s Robinson, in addition to cricket, was a leading javelin thrower, winning the intermediate title at the 2017 Secondary Schools Championship. He finished fifth in his senior grade, behind his brother Cam, who went on to study business agriculture at Massey University. His bowling might have needed managing with age-old back problems that torment throwers, but his batting found a career top score in Zimbabwe against the Proteas. What makes Robinson, an all-rounder, unique is his past as a javelin thrower. According to collegesportmedia.co.nz, Robinson, in addition to cricket, was a leading javelin thrower, winning the intermediate title at the Secondary Schools Championship in 2017. He finished fifth in senior grade behind his brother Cam, who proceeded to study business agriculture at Massey University. His bowling might have needed managing with age-old back problems that torment throwers, but his batting found a career top score in Zimbabwe against the Proteas. Robinson had thrown a 700 gm javelin to 54.43 for Wellington Amateur Athletic Club at 15, and 45.82 in 2021 for an 800gm javelin, before shifting to cricket. He replaced Finn Allen in the domestic franchise of Smash, as a rook-like batter, but the turning point was touring Pakistan in a Kiwi squad without IPL players, after he came to attention because of 139 off 64 balls with 10 sixes against Otago Volts. According to Cricinfo, Robinson, alongside Dean Foxcroft and Mitch Hay, spent two weeks at the Super Kings academy in Chennai with old friend and Wellington coach Sriram Krishnamurthy to get used to red and black soil pitches last July. Learning to pick the right deliveries to sweep was high on their agenda, as per Cricinfo.